This application claims the priority of German application 296 14 320.0 filed in Germany on Aug. 21, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a wheel bolt having a head for applying the torque and a shaft which has a threaded section on its free end and a rotatable supporting ring between the head and threaded section.
From German Patent Document DE 23 62 837 B2, a bolt connection is known for fastening vehicle wheels on vehicle hubs.
The bolt is provided with a supporting ring which has a truncated-cone-shaped construction and is held on the bolt by means of a retaining ring.
It is an object of the invention to provide a wheel bolt having a supporting ring which, in a simple manner, is held on the wheel bolt so that it cannot be lost and a defined fastening of the vehicle wheel on the vehicle hub is ensured.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing an arrangement wherein in a contact area of a vehicle wheel when in an in use position holding a wheel, the supporting ring has a spherical construction and is non-rotatably held on the bolt shaft in a ring groove by way of at least one caulking.
Principal advantages achieved by means of the invention are that, because of its spherical, for example, ball-shaped construction, the supporting ring forms a relatively large supporting surface in the receiving device of the vehicle wheel. Furthermore, by way of caulkings, the support ring is connected with the wheel bolt such that the supporting ring is still rotatable on the shaft and thus little friction is generated between the supporting ring and the bolt head during the fastening of the wheel.
The supporting ring consists of a light-metal alloy and is arranged on a wheel bolt made of steel. When a magnesium wheel is fastened to the vehicle hub, it is therefore advantageous for the supporting ring to consist of an aluminum alloy because, as a result, no contact corrosion can arise between the supporting ring and the magnesium wheel, which would occur in the case of a supporting ring made of steel.
The caulkings on the supporting ring are advantageously arranged in a distributed manner on the circumference of the supporting ring. These caulkings engage in a ring groove of the bolt shaft such that a good rotatability of the supporting ring on the wheel bolt is still ensured.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.